MS milder when patients begin with higher vitamin D levels

People with lower concentrations have more nerve damage five years later

MS patients who harbor low levels of vitamin D early in their disease fare worse over the next several years than patients with higher levels.

Multiple sclerosis is marked by damage to the fatty sheaths coating nerve fibers in the brain. The result can be an off-and-on series of symptoms including loss of muscle control, numbness and problems thinking. Vitamin D, which the body makes from sun exposure, has shown promise in fighting a variety of diseases and may limit this MS onslaught (SN: 7/16/11, p. 22).

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